


Hot for Teacher

by ofstormsandwolves



Series: what the heart wants (or, Zoey's Extraordinary Gaylist) [2]
Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s01e08 Zoey's Extraordinary Glitch, Episode: s01e10 Zoey's Extraordinary Outburst, F/F, Fluff, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:41:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24808684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofstormsandwolves/pseuds/ofstormsandwolves
Summary: After inadvertently singing to Joan following the Chirp presentation, Zoey finds herself trying to figure out her feelings for her boss, as well as for Max and Simon...
Relationships: Zoey Clarke/Joan
Series: what the heart wants (or, Zoey's Extraordinary Gaylist) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1793608
Comments: 16
Kudos: 53





	Hot for Teacher

Zoey had thought her day was going badly when she’d gone with her parents to the doctor that morning.

Then she thought her day was going badly when she’d sung _Crazy_ all through the lobby.

Then she’d sung to Danny Michael Davis during the Chirp meeting. And Max, afterwards. And then, Simon in the meditation room. And now Joan wanted to see her urgently.

“Don’t sing, don’t sing, don’t sing...” Zoey muttered to herself as she walked towards Joan’s office.

It was bad enough that she’d sung _I’m Yours_ to Max. It was even worse when she’d sung _I Want You to Want Me_ to Simon and Max had walked in. But singing to Joan? The last thing Zoey wanted was her boss thinking she was having some sort of breakdown.

Besides, things were complicated enough without her having to evaluate her feelings for Joan on top of evaluating her feelings for Max and Simon. Ever since Simon and Jessica’s engagement party, and Joan getting her to the hospital and helping with Mitch, and Joan singing _I’ll Stand By You_... Well, Zoey hadn’t been able to shake the nagging feeling she felt something more than friendship for her boss. And given the way her powers were playing up...

“Zoey!”

She blinked, and saw Joan staring at her with a concerned look. Lost in her own thoughts, Zoey had wandered straight into the older woman’s office without even noticing.

“Uh...”

Frowning, Joan surveyed the redhead, clearly mulling over what to say. “Are you alright?” she asked eventually. “Is it your dad?”

“What?” Zoey blinked. “Uh, no. No, my dad’s fine.”

Joan nodded slowly. “Ok. Then care to explain what happened with Danny Michael Davis?”

Shifting uncomfortably, Zoey shrugged and avoided the other woman’s eyes. “Did... Did he not like it?”

“He did like it, but that’s not the point. I mean, he did say he thinks you’re strange. Which is saying something, coming from Danny Michael Davis... But he’s also giving us the funding.”

Zoey tried the optimistic approach then. “So everything’s good?”

“Zoey, you can’t do things like that.” Joan sighed. “I mean, that was a big swing, and I don’t mind a big swing, but I have to know about it! I don’t like not knowing things like that-”

Leif appeared in the doorway then, arms folded across his chest as he surveyed Zoey. Joan frowned at him.

“Um, Leif, can I help you?”

The young man blinked, and looked to the other woman with a smug smile. “No. Just wanted to be here. I mean, Zoey jeopardising our project like that-”

Joan held her hand up, cutting him off. “Ok, Leif, stop right there. I understand that the Chirp was your idea, and I understand your concern, but I’m dealing with it. And I do not appreciate people gloating when their co-workers make a mistake.”

The smug smile had slid from Leif’s face, and he mumbled out an apology before slinking away. Zoey saw him go over to Tobin and mutter something before both men looked in her direction.

“Ignore them,” Joan said, drawing the attention back to them. “Zoey, I’m worried about you. Your behaviour today was... Well, it wasn’t like you. You’re out of sorts, you disappear off into Zoey land and nobody can bring you back, you sang a song and danced on a table during a _meeting_.”

Zoey looked away for a moment, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. But her mind was blank. Letting out a defeated sigh, she sank into a chair, her head in her hands.

“I don’t know what to say,” she mumbled. “There’s nothing _to_ say. You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

Zoey’s head whipped up at the words, not just because of what Joan had said but also because her voice was suddenly much closer. She’d stood up and moved round her desk without Zoey hearing or noticing, and she quickly moved to kneel in front of the younger woman’s chair.

“I’ve told you before and I’m telling you again, Zoey; let me _help_.”

Joan’s bright blue eyes were brimming over with concern, and Zoey felt a tug at her heart. She’d ruined almost everything she’d touched that day, from her relationships with Max and Simon, to the meeting with Danny Michael Davis, and she felt like a complete disaster. But Joan was looking at her, with this gentle, concerned expression that made Zoey want to cry, or hug her, or...

Or kiss her.

She wanted to kiss Joan. 

Ok, that wasn’t _exactly_ a revelation; she’d been acutely aware of her shifting feelings for the other woman since Simon’s failed engagement party, but she’d managed to mostly avoid Joan since then. Now, with that expression on Joan’s face and her being so close... It wouldn’t take much for Zoey to simply lean in and kiss her.

And as music started up in her head, she suddenly realised that was the last thing she needed to be thinking about today.

* * *

If Joan had had any inkling that Zoey was about to burst into song again, she’d hidden it well. But the moment the singing started, the brunette went pale. Zoey couldn’t blame her.

_“Oh yeah, teacher stop that screamin’,  
Teacher don’t you see? Don’t wanna be no uptown fool.”_

Zoey clapped a hand over her mouth then, wide-eyed as Joan blinked at her with an expression that suddenly looked less concerned and more scared.

“Z-Zoey?” Joan prompted.

Even with her hands over her mouth, the lyrics were still tumbling out, even if they were muffled.

_“Maybe I should go to hell but I am doing well  
Teacher needs to see me after school...”_

Unable to take it, Zoey threw herself from the chair and set off at a run for the women’s toilets. She’d barely skidded inside before she was singing again.

_“I think of all the education that I’ve missed,  
But then my homework was never quite like this...”_

The door burst open and Joan hurried in, still pale and anxious, and fixing Zoey with an extremely disturbed look.

“Are you alright? Is this... Is this some sort of, I don’t know, breakdown?”

But Zoey couldn’t answer as the singing continued. Instead, she sagged against a sink. 

_“Ow!”_

She pushed away, then, her body knowing dance steps instinctively, all while Joan stared at her with folded arms and a nauseous expression.

_“Got it bad, got it bad, got it bad,  
I’m hot for teacher.  
I’ve got it bad, so bad!  
I’m hot for teacher!”_

“Oh, god,” Joan said, hands going to her hair as she processed what was happening. “Uh, ok, Zoey, I think we need to talk-”

_“I heard about your lessons but lessons are so cold,  
I didn’t know about this school.  
Little girl from Cherry Lawn, how can you be so bold?  
How did you know that golden rule?  
I think of all the education that I’ve missed,  
But then my homework was never quite like this...  
Got it bad, got it bad, got it bad,  
I’m hot for teacher.  
I’ve got it bad, so bad!  
I’m hot for teacher!”_

As Zoey finally finished singing, have skidded towards Joan on her knees, she found herself staring up at her pale-faced and wide-eyed boss. Joan blinked, and then took a step back.

“I-” Joan managed, before going quiet.

Scrambling quickly to her feet, Zoey desperately tried to come up with an explanation for what had just happened. “Joan! Joan I’m sorry! I can explain-”

But Joan was backing towards the door, staring at Zoey like she was a stranger. “I... I can’t do this right now.”

And then Joan was gone, leaving Zoey standing alone in the middle of the bathroom.

* * *

As much as Zoey didn’t want to go to her parents’ that night, she knew she had to. Of course, a conversation with Max helped her see reason, but that didn’t stop the nerves from building up as she headed over. Her head was a mess. Not only was she walking into a horrific conversation about what will happen when her dad inevitably dies, but she was also still trying to process having sung three separate heart songs to three separate people.

By the time she got to her parents’, Zoey found that a part of her was sort of looking forward to seeing her dad, if only to try and talk the situation out with him.

That was when it really hit her.

How much longer would she be able to go to her dad to talk these things out? How much longer would she have a loving parent who knew about her powers? Sure, there was Mo, and Max, but there was something reassuring about her dad knowing. He knew her best, after all, and Zoey also knew that he would always love her unconditionally. 

In hindsight, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to Zoey that she ended up singing to her dad. Given the day she’d had, and the people she’d sung to throughout work, she possibly should have seen it coming. Still, there was something cathartic to this song, a feeling that she hadn’t felt when singing to anyone else. When the song was over, Zoey let out a sigh and looked to her dad.

“So, as you’ve probably figured out, I haven’t exactly had the best day.”

Mitch gave a small laugh at that, trying to shift to look at her.

“I mean, first your news this morning, and then the CEO showed up at work unexpectedly and wanted us to pitch our latest project. I sang all through the lobby and made myself look like a complete idiot. Then, I sang to our CEO and Max had to bail me out. I sang to both Max and the guy I have a crush on, and now Max is angry at me, and...” Zoey trailed off, taking a breath and looking to her dad. “I sang to my boss.”

Mitch’s head tilted ever so slightly to the side, and he gave the taboo buzzer a quick, short buzz to demonstrate his confusion.

“The thing is, I sang a song to Max that seems to suggest I have feelings for him. Then I went and sang a song to the man I have a crush on, and basically admitted I was attracted to him. Max walked in during the song and now he’s mad at me. But after that, my boss- uh, Joan, you met her the night you had the fall- wanted to talk to me about what happened during the presentation.”

Mitch made a small noise to show he understood then, glancing to Zoey with a slightly furrowed brow.

“The song I sang, it... I think I have a crush on Joan.” Bright red, Zoey ploughed on before her dad could react. “And that’s... That’s insane! I mean, not that I have a crush on Joan, but I already have a crush on Simon, and it seems like I have feelings for Max, and I don’t know what to do! I never even really considered dating a woman before, but with Joan? I just... This whole thing just seems too much right now, Dad.”

Sighing, Zoey moved to rest her head on her dad’s shoulder.

“I know you’ve got a lot going on right now, Dad, and I know this is the last thing you need. I just... Needed to vent, I guess.”

Maggie appeared in the doorway then, surveying her husband and daughter with a sad smile. “Everything alright?”

Zoey shifted slightly to look to her dad, before glancing back to her mom. “Yeah. Me and Dad have been having a chat, talking some things out.”

“I see,” Maggie said with a small frown. “And have you finished talking it out, or would you like another ear?”

Zoey thought about it for a moment. Her mom wouldn’t understand the singing stuff, but she could perhaps at least empathise with Zoey’s confused feelings for more than one person. Although, she’d had a tough day and really, Zoey’s problems could always wait for a while...

With a tight smile, Zoey shook her head. “I’m good.”

* * *

With Joan off at a conference, Zoey found she had a few days of breathing space. While she filled her time with work and helping Howie reconnect with his daughter, Zoey couldn’t quite escape the embarrassing memories of her powers glitching. There was more than one awkward conversation, with both Simon and Max, and it only served to remind her that once Joan was back she had to come up with some way to explain what had happened.

“What if I tell her the truth?” Zoey suggested one evening while she was at Mo’s.

Mo fixed her with a look at that. “You want to tell your boss about your powers? Child, you told me she thought you were having a breakdown. Do you really think she’ll believe you?”

Zoey frowned at the question. “Yes? Maybe?” She deflated. “No?”

Mo sighed. “Look, I suppose I can understand where you’re coming from. No fake explanation will ever be good enough to explain to Joan why you sang _Hot for Teacher_ to her.” Then, he tilted his head to one side. “Although maybe we’re looking at this all wrong. Joan is a determined woman who, if what you told me about her ex-husband is true, is good at ignoring her problems. Maybe you don’t need to say anything.”

“What, you think she’ll just pretend it never happened?” Zoey asked.

Mo shrugged. “Maybe.”

At that, Zoey’s stomach sank. The idea of Joan simply ignoring what had happened didn’t sit right with her. She’d seen the way the other woman had looked at her, had sensed that Joan was feeling the same tugging sensation she was feeling. For Joan to look the other way and hope that it all just went away?

“Child, are you alright?”

Mo’s voice interrupted Zoey’s thoughts and caused her to jump.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah.”

Mo gave her a knowing look, before sitting on the sofa beside Zoey. “Now, I like to think myself kind of an expert when it comes to setting people up, and you have to admit that I am good at helping you. So why don’t we talk this through? I mean, that’s your thing, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so,” Zoey admitted weakly.

“So. Let’s start with Simon.”

Zoey shrugged weakly at that, mulling over everything as she tried to put her feelings into words. “I’m... Attracted to him. I like him. He’s friendly, he makes me laugh, he gets what I’m going through with my dad...”

“But?” Mo prompted.

“But I’m not sure it goes any deeper,” Zoey realised slowly. “I mean, he kissed me and it was amazing, and he’s definitely single now he and Jessica have called off the engagement... Except, when Max walked in on us, I was more worried about checking Max was alright. I just sort of... Left Simon alone.”

“You talked to him, though,” Mo pointed out. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have kissed. And you spoke to him about the kiss afterwards.”

“Yeah, but... Max is my best friend. He’s been my best friend for years, Mo, and the thought of him hating me or not talking to me hurts.”

Mo had a knowing smile on his face. “So would you say that you’d choose Max’s friendship over Simon’s love?”

“I don’t know,” Zoey admitted then, burying her face in her hands. “Maybe?”

“So let’s move onto Maxwell then. Are you still not sure what your feelings are for him?”

Zoey said nothing, but shook her head dismally.

“Hmm, well that’s a tricky one. What do you like about him?”

“He’s loyal,” Zoey answered immediately. “We share interests even if we don’t agree on everything. He’s... He’s practically part of the family. He’s been to so many barbeques and holidays and dinners... He fits in, it’s like he belongs.”

Mo gave Zoey a pointed look. “But does he belong in the way a friend belongs, or the way a lover belongs?”

The redhead gave him a helpless look at that, and Mo took pity on her.

“I’m guessing we’re moving on to Joan?” he asked.

“I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing,” Zoey mumbled, pouting. “I think I need alcohol for this.”

* * *

Two glasses of wine later, Zoey was finally ready to begin discussing her crush on her boss.

“Well, Team Joan is a whole new team for me to get behind,” Mo shrugged, swirling wine around in his glass. “So pitch it to me.”

Zoey blinked for a moment, trying to piece together her thoughts. “Uh, she’s strong, she’s determined; she doesn’t take crap from anybody. Well, her ex, but I think that’s in the past now... When we went drinking the night of Jessica and Simon’s engagement party, she was actually really fun.” A small smile bloomed on Zoey’s face as she spoke. “I mean, she’s really funny! And she, well, she looks out for me at work. Did I tell you about the anonymous peer reviews? Well, it was a terrible idea in hindsight, we broke Leif... But Joan tried to protect me from the peer reviews because of the fact I’m the only female on the team besides her. She claimed all the comments were misogynistic and the only thing that mattered was that she thought I was doing a good job. I’m not entirely sure it was ethical to share everyone else’s results and not mine, but... It was nice that she looked out for me you know?”

Mo nodded at that, urging Zoey to continue.

“I know some of the guys at work resented me for getting the promotion over them, thought Joan was giving me preferential treatment. You know, ‘all girls together’ type thing... And when my dad had the fall, and Joan was with me, she made sure I got to the hospital. She held my hand even when I didn’t ask her to, and kept hold of it until we were in Dad’s room. She left to get coffee to sober me up, and then she split a cab back to my parents’ place and helped me get my old bed downstairs for Dad. I kept telling her she could leave, but she stayed.”

Zoey took a breath at that.

“And... She understands, Mo. Her mom died when she was around my age, she kind of gets what I’m going through with Dad. It’s why she keeps offering to help, even if I just want someone to rant to. God, you should have seen her the day my powers were freaking out. If I hadn’t sung, if I hadn’t ruined the moment... She said she was concerned about me, about the whole ‘singing to Danny Michael Davis’ thing. And she looked so concerned, so worried, more worried than if I were just an employee having a tough day. And she came and knelt down by my seat, and all I could think was ‘I could kiss you right now’...”

“Have you ever had that moment with Max or Simon?” Mo asked quietly. “That desire to just lean in and steal a kiss?”

Zoey frowned. “N-No,” she admitted softly after a long while.

“Then child, I think we may be making a breakthrough.”

Taking a moment to process that, Zoey let out a breath. “Mo, what if Joan wants to just ignore the whole singing thing happened? What if she doesn’t want anything to happen between us?”

“I don’t know,” Mo answered quietly. He thought for a moment. “Say you were to date Joan. How serious about that are you?”

At that, Zoey’s eyes went wide and she spluttered. “D-Date Joan? But I don’t date girls!”

Mo arched an eyebrow. “Girl, you just sat here going on and on about how amazing your boss is, and I could tell by the tone of your voice that there is something there. You like her. You have feelings for her. You’re worrying about her rejecting you. Maybe it’s too early to call it love, but you can’t deny that what is between you isn’t platonic.”

He paused then, giving the redhead a chance to digest what he’d just said.

“Now, I am not going to sit here and tell you that you are bisexual, or pansexual, or anything else. You don’t have to name it if you don’t want to, and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. But Zoey, are you really hung up on the idea of dating women?”

Zoey flushed and gave an uncomfortable shrug. “I don’t know. I... I never really thought about it. It’s always been in my head that I’m a woman, so I date men.” She frowned to herself. “I’m not sure why that is, though.”

“The media, poor education, homophobia, peer pressure, biphobia... I could go on,” Mo answered sarcastically.

“What I mean is, my parents never forced that idea on me, at least not that I remember. All they ever wanted was for me and David to be happy. They probably wouldn’t have even cared if I’d dated a girl. And... and there _were_ a few girls. Girls I thought were cute, or pretty. I could never really put my finger on what I was feeling, though, so I brushed it off. And now with Joan, well...” She trailed off and shook her head.

“You know,” Mo said, “it sounds like you really, _really_ like Joan. And that’s ok, Zoey. There’s nothing wrong with it, no matter what people say.”

“But what if Joan doesn’t like me back? What if Joan only likes men?” Zoey knew she sounded anxious, but she couldn’t help it.

It was Mo’s turn to shrug then. “All you can do is ask. You have to take that leap, Zoey. But let me just say this...” He set his wine glass down and turned to face Zoey more fully. “We have spent more time discussing Joan and your feelings for her than we have spent on both Max and Simon combined. I think you have to take a chance and go for Joan. Which brings me back to my earlier question: how serious are you about dating her?”

“If she says yes?” Zoey asked. “Very serious. Like, _seriously_ serious.”

“Ok,” Mo said, “then we need to figure out just how to explain your powers to your lovely lady friend. Because this relationship is _not_ going to work if you keep it a secret.”

Zoey deflated. “Or Joan will think I’m mad and have me carted off to a hospital for loads of tests.”

“Zoey, can you really be in a relationship with someone and keep such a massive secret? And what if Joan were to find out? Do you remember how Max took it? He felt betrayed, because you were privy to a part of his life without his consent or knowledge, and he felt like he was at odds with you. How did you fix it?”

“I promised to be more open with him,” Zoey recalled, eyes going wide as she pieced everything together.

“Exactly. And don’t you think Joan deserves the same? She needs to understand what a relationship with you means. Your powers may be fascinating, but they can also be alienating, and if Joan found out you were keeping something like this from her, how do you think she’d feel?”

Zoey sighed. “So now I have to explain to her how I meddled in her marriage? And why I zone out at random times, and why I danced on a table in front of our CEO?”

“Honey, if you want this relationship to have any chance of working, you and I had better come up with a plan.” Mo picked up his wine glass and downed the rest of its contents. “Now, let’s get to work!”

* * *

Talking to Joan seemed like a simple idea. A simple idea that had very rapidly been sidetracked. Her parents’ anniversary looked like it would be a disaster. Zoey had yelled at Howie and made a maître d’ cry. Almost every single one of her relationships was falling apart at the seams. Max had taken a job with Ava Price on the sixth floor, after Zoey failed to give him the ‘correct’ answer to his question. She still didn’t know what the correct answer was, if it wasn’t that she didn’t want to stand in the way of his career. Was she supposed to kick and scream? To deny him an amazing opportunity leading a team just so he’d stay at the desk opposite hers? She knew he was still clinging to the song she’d sung him, still clinging to the chance they could be together. But if her talk with Joan went smoothly... Well, Max was going to be disappointed.

The ‘Max-retrieval mission’, as Tobin had dubbed it, had ended badly. Joan was in a worse mood than ever and now they were stuck in a bake-off with the traitor and the sixth floor. And things got even worse when Zoey entered Joan’s office to find Leif seemingly begging Joan about something.

“I said no, Leif. Now get back to work.”

“It’s just one drink,” Leif said with a frown, trying to sound sincere. “I thought we could go over some things for the Chirp-”

“That’s what Zoey’s for,” Joan interrupted firmly, nodding to Zoey in the doorway. “Now please leave, and I don’t want you asking me out for drinks again. It’s inappropriate.”

Leif glanced at Zoey with a frown before looking back to Joan. “You went drinking with Zoey the night of Simon’s party,” he reminded her. “The pair of you showed up drunk. You left together, too.”

Joan arched an eyebrow at him. “Zoey and I are friends, Leif. We were off the clock. You are in my office trying to coerce me into going to a bar with you to discuss a project we could discuss here during work hours.”

Deflating, Leif let out a breath. “Fine. I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”

The two women watched him leave.

“Wow,” Zoey said, moving further into the office. “What was _that_ about?”

Joan looked a little uncomfortable. “I think I gave him the wrong idea at Simon’s engagement party,” she admitted, glancing over to Leif’s workstation as she spoke. “I was drunk, he was tipsy, he pitched the Chirp to me and we batted around a few ideas, and now he thinks it’s our thing. Like we’re going to keep having secret Chirp meetings while sipping cocktails at a bar.” She shook her head. “I feel kind of bad. I’m pretty certain he has a crush on me.”

A wave of jealousy swept through Zoey then, and she tamped it down.

Joan frowned, looked to Zoey. “I wasn’t too hard on him, was I? I don’t want to be, but it’s best to nip these things in the bud. Dating a subordinate? So not a good idea...”

“Because of the bake-off, right?” Zoey clarified slowly. “I mean, we don’t want to give Ava any more ammunition...”

“Sure, I suppose so. But these things are never a good idea, even without a bake-off going on,” Joan said. But her voice was a little off, a little distracted, and Zoey realised with a lurch that Joan was staring at her lips.

“Never a good idea,” Zoey echoed, now staring at Joan’s lips in response. “Human resources, and all that. Inappropriate workplace romances, bosses playing favourites... All _very_ bad.”

“Very bad,” Joan affirmed.

Neither of them could take their eyes off the other’s lips. Then, Joan seemed to shake herself.

“So, uh, Zoey... Was there anything you wanted?”

Zoey had really intended to just give Joan an update on the Chirp, now uncertain about having ‘the talk’ with her boss after what they’d just discussed. But it seemed like her brain had disengaged from her mouth.

“I’m fighting with basically everyone in my life, I hate Max for moving to the sixth floor, I yelled at my dad’s caregiver, and I made a maître d’ cry. It’s been a really crappy few days, and all I want right now is to kiss you.”

Joan blinked. “Zoey...” she began hesitantly.

“And I know, this is _wildly_ inappropriate, and also Leif’s still watching us from his desk, but I can’t help it. I feel like there’s something between us, something I can’t ignore...” Zoey took a breath. “If you don’t feel it, then I’ll leave you alone. But I have to know how you feel.”

The other woman swallowed, and was silent for several long moments. “I shouldn’t be doing this,” she said after a long while. “I’m your boss.” She stood.

“You are,” Zoey agreed.

Joan rounded the desk, never taking her eyes off the redhead. “Like I said, it’s always best to nip these things in the bud.”

Zoey nodded seriously. “Right.”

Joan came to a stop in front of Zoey then, staring down at the younger woman. “But...”

“But?”

A cautious smile was on Joan’s lips, and the vulnerability in her eyes made Zoey’s heart stop. 

“But I don’t want to.”

A smile blossomed across Zoey’s face then, before she realised the conversation they had to have. “In that case, there’s something I need to tell you...”

* * *

They took shelter in the ladies’ toilets. With Tobin and Leif watching them suspiciously, it seemed like the best place. Besides, that way nobody was likely to walk in in the middle of the conversation.

“This seems a bit ominous,” Joan said as she looked around the bathroom. “Secret meetings don’t tend to mean good things, you know.”

“I know,” Zoey acknowledged with a wince. “But I didn’t want us to be interrupted.”

Nodding her understanding, Joan folded her arms across her chest. She looked anxious, and Zoey couldn’t blame her.

“So, uh, we need to talk about... Well, about me,” Zoey began cautiously. “About why I get so distracted at times, or, or sing to Danny Michael Davis.” At Joan’s confused look, she took a breath and ploughed on. “A few months ago, I kept getting these headaches, and I was worried I had what my dad has. So I went and had an MRI done, and while I was having an MRI, an earthquake hit, and when I came out I could hear people singing. Like, singing what they were thinking.”

There was a lengthy pause then, as she looked to the brunette to gage her reaction. For Joan’s part, her expression was only that of mild surprise.

“You... Have superpowers? Is that what you’re telling me?” Joan asked sceptically.

“I can’t explain it, but both Mo and Max know about it. And my dad, but I’d recommend speaking to Mo or Max if you speak to anyone.” Zoey shifted uncomfortably under Joan’s gaze. “I’m telling you this because if we’re doing... _This_ ,” she gestured between them, “then you have to know about it.”

Joan stared at the floor for a moment, collecting her thoughts, before looking up again. Her expression was now one of concern and perhaps a hint of fear. “Zoey, I know you’ve been under a lot of stress recently, and maybe it would be a good idea for you to take some time off?”

“No! No, I don’t need time off! Joan, I’m telling the truth!”

The brunette let out a small, uncertain laugh at that. “Zoey, honey, you’re telling me you can read people’s minds!”

“I can’t,” Zoey protested. “I can only hear them sing, and it’s not all the time. I only hear the songs when I’m meant to help. Uh, I heard Simon sing _Mad World_ when he first started working here, and that’s why I spoke to him. I could tell something was wrong. I heard Max singing love songs to me! When Danny Michael Davis was here, I sang _Pressure_ because my powers were trying to tell me I had to help myself! I’d just found out Dad was dying sooner rather than later, and then Danny Michael Davis showed up unexpectedly and it was all too much!”

Joan’s cheeks flushed then, and she looked away. “You... You sang to me that day, too.”

“And Simon and Max,” Zoey added forlornly.

She hadn’t realised what she’d said until Joan’s head whipped round to her.

“What did you sing to Max and Simon, then?”

Wide-eyed, Zoey scrambled to cover. “Uh, nothing important. All very embarrassing though; I’d rather not relive it.”

Joan pursed her lips, clearly not exactly pleased with Zoey’s answer, but letting it go.

“Have... Have you ever heard me sing?”

At the older woman’s question, Zoey shrugged uncomfortably. “A few times,” she admitted slowly. “Uh, that’s how I found out you and Charlie were having problems.”

“So you helped me because you had to? Because of this mystical power you supposedly have?” Joan wouldn’t meet Zoey’s eyes as she spoke.

It broke the younger woman’s heart, and she took a moment to compose herself before answering. “At first, yes. When I first asked you about your relationship with Charlie, it was because I had tried ignoring it and I ended up being followed by the song you’d sung. But then we started talking, and then I actually met Charlie and I could see just how awful he was to you. You deserve so much better than him, Joan, and I wanted you to see that. And the more time we spent together, the more I came to realise what sort of person you are. You’re fun, you’re funny, you’re smart, you’re beautiful, you understand me...”

“As flattering as that is, Zoey, I think you can understand why I’m suddenly rethinking everything.” Joan’s voice was tight, a tinge of hurt bleeding through. 

“This is why I wanted to tell you about my powers, though,” Zoey told her quietly. “I... I knew I was taking a risk telling you this, but I had a chat with my friend Mo, and we both agreed it would be wrong of me not to tell you. I... Max and I came up with a deal once I told him about my powers. Because I can hear him sing and it gives me more knowledge about him than he has about me, I promised to always be completely honest with him. An open book. It doesn’t level the playing field completely, but it’s the best we could do. If... If you still wanted to give us a chance, Joan, I promise you that I will always be an open book to you too.”

The silence then was deafening, Zoey watching the other woman carefully as Joan considered everything.

“I... I have a question,” Joan said eventually. “You said you only helped at first because your powers made it clear you had to help me. How long was it before you changed your mind?”

“I changed my mind when I saw how Charlie treated you,” Zoey answered quickly. “He was so... _Rude_ , and, and inconsiderate, and he didn’t give a crap about your work. You work so hard here, Joan, and Charlie could barely look up from his phone for ten seconds to look at you!”

There was a small, hesitant smile on Joan’s face then, and she flushed lightly. “So how long after hearing me sing was that?”

“A day and a half, roughly,” Zoey shrugged. “And I was hesitant before because it didn’t feel right to interfere in my boss’s marriage. It’s one thing to talk to Simon about him losing his dad, it’s a whole other thing to try to discuss your boss’s sex life.” 

That earned a quiet chuckle from Joan, and Zoey felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. 

“Is... Is it alright if I take some time to think about all this?” Joan asked quietly. “I just... This is a lot to take in. I mean, it’s like some sort of science fiction plot, not real life, and...”

“It’s fine,” the younger woman interrupted gently. “I get it. I’ve had a few months to get used to it now, but... Yeah. It’s a lot to get your head around.”

Joan nodded, and moved towards the door. Just as she was about to leave, she paused, and looked back to Zoey. “I’ll call you later?”

“Sounds good.” Zoey smiled softly and watched Joan walk away.

* * *

The next few days were a flurry of activity, with Leif abandoning the fourth floor to take a job with Max up on sixth. Zoey privately wondered if it had anything to do with Joan turning him down for a drink, but the buzz around her team was that he’d been lured away with the promise of a promotion in the near-future.

While she and Joan had attempted to discuss their relationship on neutral ground, the nearest bar to SPRQ Point had quickly been invaded by both Max and Leif, causing the women to abandon the conversation for another time. On the plus side, as Max had sung _Bye, Bye, Bye_ to her, it had at least proven to Joan that she wasn’t lying about her powers.

At work, Zoey had thought it was odd that Tobin had seemed mostly unaffected by Leif’s absence, but had been too preoccupied by the bake-off to really process it. That was, of course, until Joan took Max’s desk to help with coding and the two women discovered that Leif had been funnelling code to his fellow brogrammer.

“Ugh, I’m going to kill the pair of them,” Joan muttered as she stomped into her office, after having had a secret meeting with Leif on the fifth floor. “Idiots!”

“You got them to stop though, right? I mean, Leif could get himself fired.” Zoey frowned.

Joan let out a sigh then as she sat down at her desk, and she fixed the redhead with a shy look. “We need to talk about that.”

“What? Firing Leif?” Zoey wrinkled her nose at the thought.

“No,” Joan shook her head. “We need to talk about _us_. I spoke to Leif, and he said he’d been funnelling code down so that we could beat Ava in the bake-off. I was right about him having a crush on me, and he seemed to think that corporate espionage was the way to win me over.” She rolled her eyes. “But that got me thinking; if anyone finds out that Leif did this for me, this could blow up into a huge HR situation. And that’s also true for me and you.”

Zoey didn’t like the sound of where the conversation was going. “Joan? What are you saying?”

The brunette stood with a sigh, and moved round to sit on the edge of her desk. “I’m saying that, if we’re going to do this, we need to keep it quiet. We can’t let it affect our work like, _at all_.”

The younger woman blinked as she processed what she was being told. A small smile spread across her face. “But you want to give us a chance?”

“I don’t think I have any other choice,” Joan admitted quietly. “I haven’t been able to think about anything but you since we had our talk.”

“What do we do about work, though? How long can we keep this a secret?” Zoey’s brow furrowed at the thought. 

Joan shrugged. “We’ll work it out. Right now, I’m more concerned about calling off this bake-off. Leif poisoned it. There’s no way we can continue now.” She stood, gave Zoey a small smile. “But before I deal with Ava, I want to ask something. What are you doing tonight?”

Zoey blinked at the question. “Uh... Nothing?”

Joan grinned. “I’m taking you out for dinner. Shall we say eight?”

Zoey smiled back. “Can’t wait.”


End file.
